Dishwasher

ABSTRACT

A dishwasher having a motor-pump unit normally positioned in a bottom opening in the tub of the dishwasher with the motor being located beneath the opening and the pump above the opening and within the tub and including a plurality of spaced resilient retainers on the unit movable into engagement with the motor and the bottom of the tub surrounding the opening in locking the unit in position but being movable to an inwardly projecting position when installing or removing the unit during which the dependent motor portion is passed through the tub opening which is larger than the motor portion of the unit.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Willlan T. Lampman St. Joseph, Mich. [211 Appl. No. 18,857 [22] Filed Mar. 12, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee Whirlpool Corporation [54] DISHWASHER 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 415/126, 134/186, 134/188 [51] int. Cl. ..F04b 21/00, B08b 3/00 [50] Field oi Search 136/186, 188, 187;4l5/126; 292/202, 256, 256.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,404,818 1/1922 Wickwire 292/202 2,568,536 9/1951 Beech 415/201 3,355,111 11/1967 Bamstead 134/186 3,406,637 10/1968 Perl 415/126 2,880,740 4/1959 Peg1ow.... 134/188 FOREIGN PATENTS 105,31 1 6/1924 Switzerland 415/201 ABSTRACT: A dishwasher having a motor-pump unit normally positioned in a bottom opening in the tub of the dishwasher with the motor being located beneath the opening and the pump above the opening and within the tub and including a plurality of spaced resilient retainers on the unit movable into engagement with the motor and the bottom of the tub surrounding the opening in locking the unit in position but being movable to an inwardly projecting position when installing or removing the unit during which the dependent motor portion is passed through the tub opening which is larger than the motor portion of the unit.

DISHWASHER BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a semidiagrammatic side elevational view partially broken away for clarity of illustration showing a dishwasher embodying the invention. 1

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of the dishwasher of Fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the dishwasher at the bottom of the tub with portions of the pump omitted for clarity of illustration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The dishwasher illustrated in Fig.1 comprises a cabinet 11 enclosing a tub 12 and includes a bottom sump 13. Located in the tub 12 are a pair of vertically spaced rotatable spray arms 14 and 15 of conventional construction that are rotated by the force of water flowing through the arms to spray the water on the dishes held in conventional racl s (not shown).

The bottom of the tub at the sump 13 is provided with a circular opening 16 in which is positioned a motor-pump unit 17 that includes a pump device'of which only the base 18 is shown in Fig. 2 and a motor device 19 suspended beneath the bottom of the tub. The pump base 18 and motor 19 are connected by a plurality of circularly arranged spaced bolts 20 each of which extends through a tubular part 21 that constitutes a downward extension of the pump base 18. The combination of the bolts 20 and the tubular parts 21 comprise mounting members 22 that extend vertically through the bottom tub opening 16 and serve to interconnect the pump base 18 and motor 19 as a rigid unit. I

Movably mounted on each of these mounting members 22 is a retainer 23 in the form of an elongated block of rubber which may be either resilient natural or synthetic rubber. Each retainer comprises a portion 24 at one end that normally extends between the tub bottom in the annular region 25 surrounding the tub opening 16 and the adjacent top surface of the motor 17. The other end of the retainer 23 contains a hole 26 through which extends the mounting member 22.

In order to permit positioning the motor-pump unit 17 in the tub the opening 16 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the dependent motor 17 so that the motor can be passed through the opening in installing or removing the unit from the tub. In order to seal the unit 17 in position the pump base 18 is provided with a customary resilient annular rubber sealing gasket 27 that extends between the edge of the pump base 18 and the bottom of the tub.

Because of the movable mounting of the retainer 23 it is only necessary to turn each retainer inwardly to the position 23a of Fig. 3 and pass the motor end of the unit 17 downwardly through the opening 16 to the position shown in Fig. 2. Then the retainers 23 are each rotated to their normal positions shown at the left of Fig. 3 and in Fig. 2.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A dishwasher, comprising: a tub with a bottom having an opening therein; a motor-pump unit in said opening including a pump device in said tub, a motor device beneath said tub adapted to pass through said opening and means for securing said motor-pump unit in said opening in said tub including a plurality of spaced mounting members extending through said opening and interconnecting the motor and pump device; and a retainer movably mounted on each said mounting member comprising a portion extending between said tub bottom and said unit to fix said unit against substantial movement relative to the tub. l

. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein each said retainer portion extends between said tub and said motor device in fixing said unit against said substantial movement.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein said retainer portion comprises a resilient material.

4. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein said retainer comprises an elongated resilient member having said portions at one end and means forming a mounting engaging hole on the other end through which said mounting member extends, the retainer thereby being rotatable about its mounting member.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein said resilient member comprises rubber. 

1. A dishwasher, comprising: a tub with a bottom having an opening therein; a motor-pump unit in said opening including a pump device in said tub, a motor device beneath said tub adapted to pass through said opening and means for securing said motorpump unit in said opening in said tub including a plurality of spaced mounting members extending through said opening and interconnecting the motor and pump device; and a retainer movably mounted on each said mounting member comprising a portion extending between said tub bottom and said unit to fix said unit against substantial movement relative to the tub.
 2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein each said retainer portion extends between said tub and said motor device in fixing said unit against said substantial movement.
 3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein said retainer portion comprises a resilient material.
 4. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein said retainer comprises an elongated resilient member having said portions at one end and means forming a mounting engaging hole on the other end through which said mounting member extends, the retainer thereby being rotatable about its mounting member.
 5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein said resilient member comprises rubber. 